Exposure to flame retardants once widely used in consumer products has been falling, according to a new study. The researchers are the first to show that levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) measured in children significantly decreased over a 15-year period between 1998 and 2013, although the chemicals were present in all children tested.
"These findings reinforce the decision to phase-out PBDEs from consumer products," says senior author Julie Herbstman, PhD, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences. "However, it's important to remain vigilant. Since the phase-out of PBDEs, we have begun to detect other flame-retardant chemicals in children, which are likely being used as replacements."
Whitney J. Cowell, Andreas Sjödin, Richard Jones, Ya Wang, Shuang Wang & Julie B. Herbstman. Temporal trends and developmental patterns of plasma polybrominated diphenyl ether concentrations over a 15-year period between 1998 and 2013. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 2018 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-018-0031-3
